A Different Light
by JeanIsTheName
Summary: AU: Voldemort doesn't kill Harry. Dursleys abusive. Some language. Bellatrix helps Harry on orders of Voldemort. Potters dead. Sirius in jail but will break out. Harrry will be DARK.
1. That Dreadful Night

Chapter One: That Dreadful Night

The Dark Lord Voldemort appeared in Godric's Hollow on Halloween. A fateful night for a certain family, who would never do anything again after he was gone.

He blasted open the door in front of him, stepping into the house of the Potters.'

He came eye to eye with James Potter.

James's eyes widened and he shouted to his wife, already hurrying up the stairs. "Go, Lily! I'll hold him off! Take Harry and run!"

His wife disappeared on the landing.

Lord Voldemort smiled eerily at James Potter. "Hello, Potter. Ready to die?"

James Potter did not go without a fight.

The Dark Lord glared down at the still form of James Potter. Stupid man. He raised his eyes to the stairs, licking his teeth in anticipation of his prey. His cloak swirled after him as he took the stairs three at a time.

He blasted open the third door on the right. It was closed, so most likely she was in there.

The woman desperately shot spells at him, trying to shield her son. He batted them away easily.

He snarled "Expelliarmus." Her wand went flying toward him.

She backed away, farther from him, her green eyes wide.

"Move away, girl."

"No," she whispered. "Kill me, take me, but don't harm my son, please!"

"I said, _move away_!"

She didn't move as much as an eyelid. She knew she was going to die.

He rolled his eyes and stepped toward her, bringing up his wand. She straightened up and looked him in the eye and whispered again. "Please."

He narrowed his eyes and lazily waved his wand. "Avada Kedavra!"

Lily Evans Potter flew backwards, over her son, her auburn hair gracefully framing her face, her emerald green eyes glazed over with death. She was gone.

Voldemort watched her go with a blank gaze. He turned his attention to the boy in front of him.

He was struck by how powerful those eyes were. Poison green. A child's eyes, yet promising greatness.

All of a sudden he knew what he had to do.

He closed his eyes and summoned one Deatheater. One of his most loyal.

Bellatrix Black Lestrange appeared in front of him and immediately dropped to one knee and bowed her head. "My Lord."

Voldemort stepped toward her, tearing his eyes away from the kid, who was just watching him. Doing nothing.

He touched her shoulder and drew her up. "I have a task for you," he said without preamble.

She looked up. "Yes, my Lord?"

He placed his other hand on her other shoulder and spun her around. "See that child?"

She nodded.

"I want to stage my death. The wizarding world will be lulled into a false sense of security if that happens. That child will be told he has destroyed me. As soon as he is old enough, I want you to tell him about me. Turn him dark." He paused and turned her back around to face him. "Teach him everything he needs to know. Shadow him. Dumbledore will most likely place him with his Muggle relatives, or Black, so make sure you don't let them find out. Anything. Now, are you ready?"

Bellatrix nodded. She was ready.

The Dark Lord smiled evilly and stepped back from her. "Good. Off you go, then. I'll see you in ten years."

She bowed her head, dropped to one knee, and disappeared. She was invisible.

The Dark Lord reached toward the child and picked him up. "Your mother wanted me to kill her and leave you. That's fine with me."

He gently placed the child down next to his mother and blinked his red eyes in preparation for the magic he was about to do.

He started chanting in Latin. His wand quivered, turned red hot, and blasted a spell at its master. A jet of green light issued from the wand in midair and hit Harry. A lightning shaped cut appeared on his forehead. And with one last, burning look, Voldemort disappeared, the wand falling to the floor. The wall splattered with blood. The wand disappeared as Bellatrix picked it up and pocketed it with the utmost care.

-A Different Life--A Different Life--A Different Life-

Twenty minutes later, Rubeus Hagrid appeared and found Harry James Potter. Sirius Black confronted him.

"Here, Hagrid, let me take him, I'm his godfather!" His dark hair was askew, falling to his shoulders. His eyes were on the edge of a breakdown.

"No can do, Sirius. Dumbledore's orders. Sorry," Hagrid said sadly.

Sirius's eyes burned angrily. His voice was harsh. "Fuck what he says! James and Lily appointed me, as his guardian, and that means if they're gone, I take care of him! Not Dumbledore!"

He angrily kicked his motorbike and swore again. This time out of pain.

"I'm sorry, Sirius, it's just what Dumbledore said. I need to go now," Hagrid said softly, looking like he was about to cry.

Sirius sighed heavily and blinked back tears. "Can…can I say goodbye to him?"

Hagrid nodded and gave Harry to Sirius, who cradled him carefully. "Goodbye, Harry." He brushed his lips on Harry's forehead and gave him back to Hagrid.

He looked at Hagrid and said quietly, "Hagrid, take my bike with you. It'll be faster."

Hagrid looked astonished. "But…"

Sirius shook his head and said a bit more loudly, "I won't need it anymore, Hagrid. Go on."

He helped Hagrid on, showed him how to use it, and stepped back to watch him disappear into the night.

He waited until Hagrid was out of sight before walking slowly into the house.

-A Different Life--A Different Life--A Different Life-

It was shambles. The strength of even one of Voldemort's curses was enough to rip apart the house.

He whispered a spell. "Lumos."

Sirius stepped through the hallway, where he'd never walk again. He passed the kitchen, where he'd never watch Lily and James flirt while he rolled his eyes and groaned again. He came to a stop in the empty living room.

James.

James lying on the floor, cold with death.

Sirius froze with shock.

He dashed to his late best friend and dropped to his knees.

James eyes were open. Blank and lifeless. The life was gone from those hazel eyes.

A drop of water fell on James' cheek. It took Sirius a moment to realize that he was crying.

He lay his wand down and straightened his dead best friends' body, and folded his arms across his chest. He shut James' eyes and placed his wand in his fingers.

He bent his head and whispered goodbye. For a moment he reminisced. He would never again burst in and scare Lily, he would never show Harry how to play Quidditch, he would never just…speak to James again.

He got up and walked toward the stairs as if in a trance. He wanted to see Lily.

He paused halfway up the stairs. A gold pendant lay in front of him.

He bent down and picked it up, recognizing it as Lily's. A locket with a picture of James and her together inside. He struggled to hold back a sob as he clutched it.

He resumed climbing the stairs and came to the landing. To his right there were three doors. To his left was a large bay window seat.

One of the doors was blown open. Harry's room. He ran toward it.

Lily Potter, eyes open, lifeless, lying in front of the crib, her hair like a halo around her face. The windows blown out. The wall splattered with congealing blood.

Sirius sat down next to Lily. At least she'd had a quick death.

He did to her the same as he'd done with James, and kissed her forehead softly. He went downstairs and shut the wrecked door behind him.

Only when he was at the end of the block did he break down.

He raised his eyes to the sky.

"You'll pay for this, Peter Pettigrew!" He let loose an emotionless laugh, before breaking down again as he Apparated away, still clutching the locket.

-A Different Life--A Different Life--A Different Life-

Bellatrix tailed Hagrid on broomstick. She was invisible, as was the broomstick.

She watched as the big oaf handed her charge to Dumbledore.

She watched as they placed Harry on the doorstep of Four Privet Drive, Surrey.

She watched as they disappeared, not thinking about him for the next ten years.

She watched. She waited.

She knew that the muggles would abuse her charge. She couldn't do anything about that. But she would wait for Harry.

She drifted down toward the roof and shrunk her transfigured her broom into a rock, and pocketed it. She lay down carefully next to the chimney, and looked wistfully at the sky.

-A Different Life--A Different Life--A Different Life-

Please Review and tell me what you all think!


	2. Turning 11

A Different Light: Chapter Two: Turning Eleven

Harry Potter opened his eyes as the first birds started twittering around the house. Slowly, he stretched and rolled out of his cupboard. There wasn't any sound coming from the kitchen, and nothing from upstairs, either. The Dursleys weren't up. That was a good thing.

He walked softly into the kitchen, grabbed an early breakfast, and decided to go outside – there was absolutely nothing to do around here. So he cleaned up his dishes, and headed out the front door, walking into a jog, and then sprinting. His teacher had told him to keep up his strength during the summer, and anyway, he loved the wind in his hair, and it was great right now because it was early.

He started to walk again, and came to the park. He lowered himself underneath a tree, thinking about middle school. His Aunt and Uncle had proudly announced to the world that Dudley was going to Smeltings, Uncle Vernon's old school. They had told Harry he'd be going to Stonewall High. Harry had mentally puked.

Someone was being walked by a giant white mastiff across the field. He watched them without actually looking.

Stonewall High. Public, dirty, ugly, grey – vile was the right word. He wondered what school his parents had went to. His Aunt and Uncle never talked about them. "Don't ask questions" was their motto for an ordinary, normal life, and he definitely wasn't to ask anything. He wondered how anyone could like them, dull as they were.

The giant mastiff wrenched his leash away from his owner, who started running and shouting after it. Harry idly pulled up a few pieces of grass with his fingers and shifted his back against the tree trunk.

He also wondered where his parents would send him if they had been alive. He hoped not Stonewall High.

The mastiff turned and started chasing its owner, who started running. Harry grinned a little and pushed his glasses up his nose.

He looked up at the sky and decided it was high time to go back. Hopefully the Dursleys hadn't noticed him gone. Behind him the owner finally got the mastiff under control.

A Different Light A Different Light A Different Light

Good thing the Dursleys' hadn't noticed, he thought grimly. He was standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom, and was sweat, dirt, and grass covered. He cleaned off, made breakfast for the Dusleys,' then started reading a book.

A Different Light A Different Light A Different Light

July 30, Five Seconds Before 12:00 Midnight:

Harry was leaning up on the wall of his cupboard, and watching the clock in the hallway tick. In five…four…three…two…one…

He was eleven. He waited for some feeling of elation. Nothing! He decided to take a walk.

This time he used the back door – less noise, and crept around the house when he ran into someone. Someone wearing a black cloak with a hood, and carrying a thin – stick? Alarm bells went off in his mind.

He ducked when several- lights? -whistled over his head. The person was pointing the stick at him, and slowly advancing. He rolled left, ran back, and then flipped up into a tree on the other side of the house. His attacker would probably come after him, but wouldn't see him because of three things – it was midnight, there was no light on this side of the house, and he was shrouded in leaves.

He was right. When the person stepped underneath the tree, he took a deep breath, heart pounding in his mouth, and jumped down on top of whoever it was. They wrestled with the stick – Harry's glasses were knocked off his face, he received a beautiful uppercut to the face, but in two minutes he was in possession of a – wooden? - stick, and he scrambled to his feet and backed away, nursing his injuries.

"Who are you?" His voice was shaky.

The person got up slowly. "I could ask the same of you," said a seething, female voice.

"What do you want?"

"I came here to see a Harry Potter-"

Harry caught his breath.

"-when you little MONSTER attacked me!"

"I'm Harry."

The woman froze. She stepped out from underneath the tree into the moonlight and slowly lowered her hood, revealing a pretty face – strong-jawed, dramatic cheekbones, full lips, and heavily lidded eyes.

She stepped toward him. "Harry…"

Harry pointed the stick at her, as if it would help. He had no idea what it was – so he was surprised when she flinched. "What do you want?" His voice was steady now.

"Don't POINT _that_ at me!"

Harry frowned. "Why, what does it do?"

She snarled, "Are you always this _stupid_? Don't you know what that is?"

Harry grinned at her. "No, of course not. What does it do?" he repeated.

The woman looked shocked. She sat down on the grass gingerly. "Sit down, and _don't lose that_!"

Harry was about to throw the stick to the side when she threw her arm at it. He stopped, wondering what the big thing about it was.

There was a long silence.

"Okay, I'll give it back to you…just not…yet."

She glowered at him. "I'm going to tell you a story."

"What if I don't want to hear it?" he asked.

She ignored him.

"Do you believe in magic?"

Harry failed to stifle a laugh. It came out as a snort.

"Oh, please," he panted, "do I look like a kid to you, who believes in Santa Claus?"

The woman regarded him coolly. "Shut up, listen, and you'll believe in it very soon!"

"Okay."

She ran a hand through her long, black hair. "My name is Bellatrix Lestrange. I'm a witch. I can do magic. I could turn you into a toad if I wanted. But more about that later – about me, now – I've been in hiding from society and humans for several years. My stupid husband let himself get captured, but I don't really care. I've been watching you, you know?"

Harry's eyes widened.

"Not in that way, you sick…"

Harry interrupted hurriedly. "Why have you been hiding?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm a criminal, if you like. A murderer. A bad person. A Dark witch. A-"

He interrupted again, itching to know. "So, magic is real?"

"_Yes. _That's what I've just been telling you. That stick in your hand, that's my wand. I do magic with it."

There was a pause.

"Can you show me?"

"Give me the wand," she said, standing.

Harry stood up, walked over to her, and handed it to her hesitantly.

She took it and sighed.

She looked critically at Harry – the top of his messy hair was even with her eyes. "Let's start with your hair, glasses, and clothes."

Harry looked at her weirdly.

She waved her wand at his glasses – they sharpened the visible spectrum better. His clothes changed color and shrunk, and his hair grew shorter.

She stopped and stepped away from him. "Much better. I could hardly stand to look at you before."

Harry blinked. "Magic is REAL!" He was shocked.

"What did you think?"

"It wasn't?

"Whatever...anyways," Bellatrix said, "let's talk about your parents."

Harry looked at her. "Did you know them?"

_Wrong thing to say_, said his mind.

Her eyes darkened. "Yes, I…knew them. In a sense."

Harry looked at her, startled. Her voice was full of hate.

"Did you hate them?"

"Bluntly put…but accurate."

"Why?"

"Never you mind!"

"Okay…" he shrugged.

She sighed. "Let's begin with your parents' death. Do you know how it happened?"

Harry shook his head. "When I asked, my aunt and uncle just say, 'Don't ask questions, but they told me once they died in a car crash. Did they?"

Bellatrix rubbed her eyes. This was turning out to be harder then she'd anticipated. "No, of course not!" she snapped. "They were murdered by the Dark Lord!"

She looked at his face for understanding. What do you expect? Nothing…_So frustrating_…

Harry gestured to the bench near the back door. "Is this going to take a long time?"

"Good idea!"

She stalked over to the wooden bench and sat down. "Alright…so you don't know who the Dark Lord is. That's fine. What _do_ you know?"

"It's pretty late?"

She sighed dramatically, but grinned at him eerily. "This is going to take a long time. You're going to receive a weird letter in the morning. Don't tell anyone. I'll see you tonight. Be here!"

She got up and reached into her pocket. "Keep this with you, wherever you go." She tossed him a dagger in a black sheath. Turning, she swept her cloak around her, and then she was gone.

A Different Light A Different Light A Different Light

6:00 a.m., July 31:

Harry opened his eyes.

He remembered what had happened last night. Had it been a dream?

He rolled out of bed and went to the bathroom. Well, there was the bruise on his face. Okay, it was real.

Okay, people. Tell me what you think. Or don't, whatever. Thanks for reading.


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